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Bagdad: 1943

March 1943. "Bagdad, California. Going through the station on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Needles and Barstow." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.

The Bagdad Cafe as seen in the film of the same name is actually in Newberry Springs, also along Route 66. It was still open as of 2005 when I took my Route 66 trip.

As mentioned already, nothing is left of the real Bagdad besides some flat spots in the desert. It was apparently the only town for miles around with a jukebox, which made it a very popular place for awhile.

...in a quirky movie in 1988 titled Bagdad Cafe. It took place in a very similar remote desert watering hole and had a strange assortment of characters, sort of reminded me of a Fellini film. If you want to know how it ends, rent the movie.

The six-sided kiosk is an ATSF standard telephone shanty. These were usually found at passing sidings and other remote locations where it was necessary for a train crew to contact the dispatcher or vice-versa.

The lower quadrant train order signal in front of the operator's bay is missing both arms, so I'd assume the station has been closed and there is no longer an operator assigned here. The phone booth would still permit contact as needed.

At one time Bagdad was a busy little community, but like many others along Route 66, it went bust as the interstate came into use. In 1991 the remaining schoolhouse and other buildings were demolished. All that remains is the rail siding, a tree, some broken glass and a lonely cemetery.

Rudy VanderLans made a book about the place, with photographs and an essay. By the time he got to Bagdad, all the buildings had gone, and only a stump remained of the palm tree -- could it be the same one in the photo?

Shorpy.com | History in HD is a vintage photo blog featuring thousands of high-definition images from the 1850s to 1950s. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago.